You can't turn on the tv or open a newspaper without hearing the dreaded "r" word: recession.  We're feeling the pinch and trying to curb our impulse purchases.  And we're on the lookout for bargains.  Sometimes, in these trying times, we forget that "bargains" offered at the chain retailers come at a high price for our loyal local business owners who are there for us when we need them most.

Stay Local! wants to make it as easy as possible for John Q. Consumer to "unchain" himself.  That's why we've created our searchable online directory of over 1300 locally owned businesses in Greater New Orleans.  Search by business category, product, or even by neighborhood.  

And we are here to remind consumers that every dollar they spend has a positive impact on the culture, commerce, and environment of New Orleans.

Ok, you say.  Culture and commerce I get.  But environment?  Think of it in terms of distance: the further you have to go to reach a product, or the further the product has to travel to reach you, the more energy expended.  And because an independent owner has more autonomy than the manager of a chain retail store, he or she is more likely to source supplies locally as well.

 
Stay Local! values urban environmentalism, and so does apparel company and longtime leader in sustainable manufacturing Patagonia.  Through its local dealer, Massey's Outdoor Professionals, Patagonia recently awarded The Urban Conservancy a $2500 Conservation Grant to support its work to advocate for alternatives to suburban-style sprawl and automobile dependency, including the Lafitte Greenway and Stay Local!

Thank you, Patagonia and Massey's!

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  Terranova's Super Market:  70 Years Young!

New Orleans Businesses in Spotlight

When doing his first full-length documentary "Independent America: The Two Lane Search for Mom & Pop" (2006) Hosein and his wife, Heather Hughes, decided to bypass New Orleans, in favor of a crucial Wal-Mart interview in Arkansas.

"It's a detour we would come to regret when Hurricane Katrina hit six weeks later," Hosein says.  "Now we get to make up for it with this poignant sequel."

After two years of continued success with his first film, Hosein has gone back on the road, thanks to funding from Canada's Superchannel - which is currently broadcasting the original film.  The University of Washington's Department of Communication is also supporting this new documentary.The filmmaker will bring inspiring stories and cautionary tales of how Americans are increasingly buying local, supporting small businesses and resisting big box company takeovers in the recovery process from the worst natural disaster in our country.

Prior to Katrina, New Orleans was a city known for its vibrant, independent retail businesses, so it is not a surprise that Mom & Pop reinvented themselves and quickly started leading the way when disaster struck. Geoff Coats, founder of The Urban Conservancy, says "Chain retailers were reluctant to return to the city in the immediate aftermath of the storm even though they were the ones with the national supply chains and the deep pockets to pull off a quick reconstruction. Instead, it was the Mom and Pops."

This is the strong spirit that Hosein documents in his sequel Independent America: Rising From Ruins.  

Hosein, currently the Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media program at the University of Washington, is working with Kirk Mastin and John Liston on the project.

Independent America: Rising From Ruins, shot and produced in full HD video, is a co-production of Open Door and HRH Media.  Superchannel, Canada's only national Pay TV network, will broadcast the film in late 2008.

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Do You Know What You've Done?!

Stay Local! has created attractive shopping bag inserts for any independent retailer looking for a low-cost way to reinforce customer loyalty and express gratitude for their patronage at the same time.  We've left room at the top for you to customize with your business information.

To order inserts, contact Dana at dana@staylocal.org or 232-7821. 

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Check out our 2007 Progress Report, the latest news on local businesses and national trends, our latest Success Story, and more!

This newsletter was sent to you for at least one of the following reasons:  you have registered a qualifying locally-owned and operated business within Greater New Orleans to be listed on Stay Local!'s website; you are a business advocate that provides financial, technical or other assistance to locally-owned businesses in the Greater New Orleans area; or you are an individual who understands that shopping at independent businesses first and whenever possible supports a more sustainable economy and environment, and strengthens New Orleans' one-of-a-kind culture. 

 Stay Local! is an initiative of The Urban Conservancy.

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